The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned goaltender Alex Lyon to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. They have also recalled goaltender Carter Hart from the Phantoms and placed goaltender Anthony Stolarz on Injured Reserve. Stolarz has a lower-body injury and will be sidelined 2-4 weeks.

The announcement came from Executive Vice President and General Manager, Chuck Fletcher, before the team is slated to practice at their training facility in Voorhees, NJ on Monday.

Hart receives his first recall of his career to the Flyers. He has been assigned uniform #79.

Stolarz goes on IR after appearing in nine straight games for the Flyers (Nov. 24-Dec. 15), going 2-3-2 with a 3.90 GAA and .880 save percentage. He left the first period of the Flyers-Canucks game on Dec. 15 with a lower-body injury.

In his first season since turning pro, Hart has appeared in a majority of the games for Lehigh Valley where he has a 9-5-2 record to go along with a 3.05 goals-against average and .901 save percentage, including one shutout.

More recently, Hart has earned wins in four of his last five starts, going 4-1-0, with a 1.82 GAA and .939 save percentage. He posted his first pro shutout by stopping all 26 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Hershey Bears on Dec. 7.

Hart also appeared in four games for the Flyers during the preseason. Despite an 0-1-0 mark, he posted a 1.87 goals-against average and .922 save percentage by stopping 59 of 64 shots he faced through the four contests.

Prior to this season, Hart spent four years with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League where he won Goaltender of Year honors in each of his final three seasons (2015-16, 2016-17 & 2017-18), as well as Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year Award twice (2015-16 & 2017-18). Hart also won the WHL's Most Valuable Player Award in 2017-18, his final season of junior hockey.

Internationally, Hart led Team Canada in net during the World Junior Championships for the past two years. He won a silver medal at the 2017 WJC, and returned to lead Canada to a gold medal in 2018 when he posted a 1.81 GAA and .930 save percentage in six games.

Hart was selected by the Flyers in the second round (48th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Allentown, Pa. — The Philadelphia Flyers, NHL affiliate of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have announced today that Phantoms’ Head Coach Scott Gordon has been named interim head coach of the Flyers.

Gordon, 55, is in his fourth season as head coach of the Phantoms and currently sits ninth place in AHL history with 364 career wins. The Phantoms currently hold a 15-9-1-1 record through 26 games. In 2017-18, he guided the Phantoms to their first division crown in over a decade and back-to-back seasons of 48 wins and 47 wins. The Phantoms have totaled a 144-86-24 under Gordon.

A native of Brockton, Mass., Gordon brings 12 years of professional coaching experience to the Flyers, including parts of three seasons as the head coach of the New York Islanders. Prior to joining the Islanders, Gordon was spent five seasons as the head coach of the Providence Bruins. During that time, he registered a 221-141-47 overall mark en route to playoff appearances in five of those six campaigns. In his final season at the helm in Providence, the Bruins produced a 55-18-7 overall record and a league-leading 117 points earning Gordon the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award presented to the AHL’s Coach of the Year.

In addition to his professional coaching experience, Gordon also has extensive international experience behind the bench. He served as an assistant coach for the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver helping the U.S. claim a silver medal. What’s more, he was an assistant coach for the United States at both the 2009 and 2011 IIHF World Championships.

After an eight-year career as a professional goaltender, which included 23 games with the Quebec Nordiques, Gordon began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1994 to 1996. He earned his first head coaching position in 1998 with the Roanoke Express of the ECHL. In two seasons behind the bench in Roanoke, Gordon compiled an 82-42-16 overall record and guided the Express to the postseason in both campaigns.

Lehigh Valley will take on the rival Hershey Bears inside of PPL Center in downtown Allentown on Wednesday, December 19, at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for the contest against the Bears are still available online by clicking HERE.

Season tickets offering a wide range of benefits as well as 20-Game and 12-Game plans are available by calling the Phantoms at 610-224-GOAL (4625).

Please see the following statement from Flyers Executive Vice President & General Manager, Chuck Fletcher:
"After meeting this morning with Dave Hakstol and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to relieve him of his duties as head coach. As I continue to assess the team, I feel that this is the best course of action for our group moving forward. I'd like to thank Dave for his service to the team and the organization. Scott Gordon will serve as head coach on an interim basis."
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19966-Flyers-fire-Head-Coach-Dave-HakstolFlyers to fire Head Coach Dave Hakstolhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19965-Flyers-to-fire-Head-Coach-Dave-Hakstol&goto=newpost
Mon, 17 Dec 2018 00:32:27 GMThttps://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/flyers/report-flyers-fire-dave-hakstol-nothing-yet-official
By John Boruk and Jordan Hall
Updated: 5:35...https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelph...g-yet-official

By John Boruk and Jordan Hall

Updated: 5:35 p.m.

The Flyers gave it the good old college try.

General manager Chuck Fletcher is firing Dave Hakstol and hiring Joel Quenneville as the team's next head coach, according to a report Sunday by Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. It comes just three weeks after the team relieved Ron Hextall of his duties and replaced him with Fletcher. Per the report, the Flyers will announce the firing Sunday night or Monday morning.

However, the Flyers have not made any official announcement. The team was flying back from Vancouver today following a 1-3-1 road trip. According to a report by TSN's Darren Dreger, a decision on Hakstol has not been made. Also, according to a report by FOX Sports Midwest's Andy Strickland, Quenneville has not taken the job. A source confirmed Strickland's report to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Flyers' five-game road swing ended disastrously as the team lost four straight games, a stretch in which it allowed 22 goals. Overall, the Flyers are 12-15-4 with 28 points and in last place of the Metropolitan Division 31 games into a season with much greater expectations.

The Flyers are also allowing the second-most goals per game at 3.74 and have regressed in Year 4 under Hakstol, who was hired by Hextall.

The Flyers play Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center against the Red Wings.

The Philadelphia Flyers will honor former left-winger Scott Hartnell as he returns to Philadelphia for the December 20 matchup against the Nashville Predators. The club will recognize Hartnell, who recently announced his retirement, throughout the night with a ceremonial puck drop, in-game features, and appearances on the Flyers' broadcasts.

Hartnell's 17-year career included seven seasons in Philadelphia, during which time he recorded 157 goals and 169 assists for 326 points in 517 games, along with 908 PIM. The best season of his career came in the 2011-12 campaign, when he led the Flyers with 37 goals and was second on the roster with 67 total points.

Hartnell also contributed 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points in 75 career Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Flyers. He appeared in all 23 games of the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, posting eight goals and nine assists for 17 points.

Hartnell was acquired from Nashville on June 18, 2007 along with Kimmo Timonen in exchange for Nashville's own first-round pick (previously acquired, Nashville selected Jonathon Blum) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He departed the Flyers on June 23, 2014 when he was traded to Columbus in exchange for R.J. Umberger.
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19963-Flyers-to-honor-Scott-Hartnell-20th-DecFlyers hire Brent Flahr as Vice President and Assistant General Managerhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19962-Flyers-hire-Brent-Flahr-as-Vice-President-and-Assistant-General-Manager&goto=newpost
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 05:41:07 GMThttps://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flyers-name-brent-flahr-vice-president--assistant-general-manager--philadelphia-flyers/c-302856346
Image:...https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flye...rs/c-302856346

The Philadelphia Flyers have named Brent Flahr to the position of Vice President & Assistant General Manager, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Chuck Fletcher.

In his new role, Flahr will be heavily relied upon for decisions involving player personnel, while supervising all aspects of the club's scouting department and overseeing the player development of the club's prospects.

"Brent brings over 20 years of experience in the National Hockey League and an extraordinary amount of knowledge to our hockey club," Fletcher said in making the announcement. "I've known Brent for many years and his track record speaks for itself as a scout, assistant general manager and even general manager of an AHL team. His expertise of building and growing a strong foundation will be extremely valuable at all levels as we look to take the next step in our path toward winning a championship."

"I'm extremely excited to join a storied franchise like the Philadelphia Flyers," said Flahr. "I'm eager to work with Chuck and the present staff, and I'm ready to do anything I can to help the Flyers win the Stanley Cup."

Flahr joins the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild, where he was in his 10th season with the club and his second as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, a position to which he was promoted on June 1, 2017. During his time with the Wild, Flahr was responsible for the organization's preparation for and selection of players at the NHL Entry Draft, while also assisting in personnel decisions, contract negotiations and league-related issues. Players selected by the Wild under Flahr's watch include Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund, Johan Larsson, Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba, Gustav Olofsson, Alex Tuch, Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin. For the past three seasons (2015-2018), Flahr also served as the General Manager of the Iowa Wild, Minnesota's primary affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Flahr started his NHL career with the Florida Panthers in 1996 following his graduation from Princeton University. He served in a number of roles for the Panthers over the course of eight seasons, including Assistant to the General Manager and Scouting and Video Coordinator. During the 2002-03 season, Flahr was the Director of Hockey Operations for Florida's American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2003, Flahr became an amateur scout for the Anaheim Ducks, a position he held through the club's 2007 Stanley Cup run. From there he moved to Ottawa, where he was the Director of Hockey Operations for two seasons before joining the Wild in 2009.

A native of Courtenay, British Columbia, Flahr spent four seasons as a defenseman on Princeton's hockey team from 1992-96 and was the team captain as a senior in the 1995-96 season.
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19962-Flyers-hire-Brent-Flahr-as-Vice-President-and-Assistant-General-ManagerFlyers vs Jets | 9th Dec 2018http://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19961-Flyers-vs-Jets-9th-Dec-2018&goto=newpost
Sun, 09 Dec 2018 14:53:39 GMThttps://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-flyers-winnipeg-jets-game-preview/c-302744868
by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent
Image:...

The Game
Defenseman Josh Morrissey is expected back in the lineup for the Winnipeg Jets when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Bell MTS Place on Sunday.

Morrissey has missed two games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. He has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 26 games this season.

The Flyers will look to win their second game in a row in the second half of a back to back. Philadelphia won 6-2 at the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. The Flyers are 3-5-2 in their past 10 games.

The Flyers will be without forward Sean Couturier for the second straight game. He is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Players to watch
Flyers forward Claude Giroux has four points (two goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak, and 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his past seven games.

Jets forward Patrik Laine has zero points in his past four games after having 14 points (13 goals, one assist) in his previous seven.

They said it
"There was a quiet confidence on the bench not to change anything, just to push back and find a way to get one. And once we got one, everything fell back into place and guys relaxed." -- Flyers coach Dave Hakstol on their come-from-behind win Saturday

"I'm hoping to [play]. I'll go through the protocol I guess and see how everything is doing. My hope is to play [Sunday]. Things are feeling pretty good, so that would be the goal." -- Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey

Status report
Morrissey skated with Trouba on the top defense pairing during Saturday's practice. … Jets defenseman Cameron Schilling was re-assigned to Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Saturday.

Sabres forward Sam Reinhart has five goals in a four-game goal streak and eight points in a five-game point streak.

They said it
"I want the guys to be comfortable with me in the net so they can take some chances and rely on me to make the big save. The fact that I'm making some big saves is a confidence booster for me. But at the end of the day, you've got to give your team a chance to win." -- Flyers goaltender Anthony Stolarz

"We really want to get back to our process, our identity, the way that we can play every night and I think that's going to create a lot of success. But you have to enjoy that run (10-game winning streak), too, because it doesn't happen very much. You have to take the good and enjoy it but also learn from what you weren't doing well." -- Sabres forward Kyle Okposo

Status report
Pominville will play after missing the past two games because of an upper-body injury. … Hunwick is getting closer to making his Buffalo debut, but Sabres coach Phil Housley said he's not ready yet. … Varone was recalled by the Flyers on Friday from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.

Stat pack
Buffalo is 1-for-13 on the power play in its past five games. … Giroux has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his past seven games. … Eichel has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in his past 11 games.

The Game
Cam Atkinson will try to extend his point streak to 12 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they play the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.

Atkinson has 19 points (13 goals, six assists) during his 11-game streak, which is the second-longest in Blue Jackets history. Ryan Johansen had points in 13 straight games from Dec. 18, 2014 to Jan. 17, 2015.

Goalie Anthony Stolarz will start for the Flyers, who are 2-5-1 in their past eight games.

They said it
"It got good to Cam really quickly. When things were going well for him he kind of forgot his practice habits and just thought he'd fly through and do the things. I think he's really worked on that part of the game, his preparation and keeping his concentration when things are going good. You can concentrate and work on the game when there's some struggles, your coach is telling you to do that and he's leaning on you. ... I think he's improved tremendously in his preparation. I think that's why he's been more consistent." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella on forward Cam Atkinson

"When he got in the net the first day he was excited to be in there. I don't think he was trying to make too much of it or too little of it. He was just excited to go out there and play and do the best he could. He's continued to show us that every day and that's what he needs to continue doing." -- Flyers coach Dave Hakstol on goalie Anthony Stolarz

Status report
Carlsson was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Thursday. Blue Jackets defenseman Dean Kukan was loaned to Cleveland on Wednesday for a conditioning assignment. He last played Nov. 6, and has been scratched the past 12 games. ... Flyers defenseman Samuel Morin, the No. 11 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, practiced for the first time since having surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee on May 31. He's not expected to play until February.

Stat pack
Panarin has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his past eight games ... Konecny has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past six games

The Philadelphia Flyers have named Rick Wilson as an assistant coach on Dave Hakstol's staff, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Chuck Fletcher and Head Coach Dave Hakstol.

Wilson, 68 (8/10/1950), comes to the Flyers with 2,306 regular-season games of NHL experience in various coaching roles that spans 30 seasons in the league. He most recently was with the Dallas Stars, a franchise with which he spent 18 seasons over two separate terms of service.

Wilson's NHL coaching career started in 1988-89 as an assistant with the New York Islanders. He moved to the same role with the Los Angeles Kings the following season and stayed through 1992 before joining what was then the Minnesota North Stars. He moved with the team to Dallas after his first season and stayed with the organization through 2009. He was an assistant coach from 1992-2002 and also spent 32 games as the team's head coach during the 2001-02 season, going 13-11-7-1. Following that stretch, he moved into the position of associate coach until 2009.

Wilson spent the 2009-10 season as the associate coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He then joined the Minnesota Wild, where he was an assistant coach for six seasons from 2010-16. Wilson spent the 2016-17 season with the St. Louis Blues before returning to Dallas last season.

A native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Wilson won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and reached the Final with the Stars again the following season. He has coached in an additional 214 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Wilson played professionally for six seasons from 1972-78 after concluding a three-year career at the University of North Dakota from 1969-72. His NHL playing career consisted of 239 games over four seasons from 1973-1977 with Montreal, St. Louis and Detroit. Wilson concluded his professional playing career in Philadelphia, appearing in 75 games for the AHL's Philadelphia Firebirds in 1977-78.

Following that season, Wilson began his coaching career when he returned to North Dakota as an assistant, where he helped the school win the 1980 NCAA title. After two seasons there, Wilson returned to his hometown in 1980 to become an assistant coach of the Prince Albert Raiders, which played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League his first two seasons before moving up to the Western Hockey League in 1982. He helped the team win the Memorial Cup in 1985, and then served as head coach for two years from 1986-88 before joining the Islanders.

Wilson is a member of the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame and the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame. His son Landon Wilson was a first-round pick (19th overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993 who went on to play 375 NHL games with Colorado, Boston, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Dallas.
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19958-Flyers-hire-Rick-Wilson-as-Assistant-CoachFlyers hire Chuck Fletcher as new GMhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19957-Flyers-hire-Chuck-Fletcher-as-new-GM&goto=newpost
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:03:04 GMThttps://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-fyers-hire-chuck-fletcher-as-general-manager/c-302566656
Image:...https://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphi...er/c-302566656

Chuck Fletcher was named executive vice president and general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

Fletcher, 51, was in his first season as senior adviser to the general manager and hockey operations for the New Jersey Devils. He replaces Ron Hextall, who was fired as GM on Nov. 26.

"It's been a whirlwind few days, and I'm thrilled," Fletcher said during a conference call. "I'm extremely honored and humbled that (Flyers president) Paul Holmgren and (chairman/chief executive officer) Dave Scott chose me to be the next general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I've been in the game for many years and the Flyers have been one of the standard bearers of the National Hockey League and one of the best franchises, and to have the opportunity to be the general manager of the Flyers is a dream come true."

Prior to joining the Devils, Fletcher was general manager of the Minnesota Wild from 2009-18. The Wild reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times in his nine seasons but won two postseason series.

Philadelphia hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1975 and most recently won a playoff series in 2012.

The Flyers (11-12-2) are seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 24 points, five behind the third-place New York Islanders. They play the Columbus Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, FS-O, NHL.TV).

"We have some work to do, no doubt," Fletcher said. "There are some very strong players here. There are some young players that are finding their way in the NHL and getting better. I'm looking forward to sitting down with the coaches very shortly and getting to meet the players."

As for the fate of Flyers coach Dave Hakstol, the new GM said he doesn't anticipate making a change anytime soon. Hakstol was hired by Hextall prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.

"I have a lot of respect for what he's accomplished in his career," Fletcher said of Hakstol. "Look, I'm just coming in. I'm a big believer in trying to get to know a situation before you make a reaction here. I'd like to think that we can solve a lot of the issues that have plagued this team this year and find a way to get better.

"I certainly have no intention of making a coaching change tomorrow. I'm going to meet with Dave and we're going to try and work together and push. Our goal is to make the playoffs this year, it's that simple. We have work to do and it'll be a challenge, but there's no reason why we can't get better and can't push to make the playoffs and find a way to get in."

Fletcher has also worked as an assistant general manager with the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins, and was with the Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009.

In Florida, he was hired by Bobby Clarke, who is the Flyers senior vice president and who Fletcher said he "considers a mentor and a friend."

Fletcher's father, Hockey Hall of Fame member Cliff Fletcher, is a senior adviser for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and worked as GM of the Atlanta/Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and Maple Leafs.

"The Flyers are proud to have Chuck Fletcher as the new general manager of our hockey club," Holmgren said. "Throughout his career, he has helped shape teams that have consistently competed in the playoffs. In addition, Chuck's tireless work ethic, wealth of knowledge and experience in the hockey community will be instrumental in leading our team into the future."
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19957-Flyers-hire-Chuck-Fletcher-as-new-GMFlyers vs Penguins | 1st Dec 2018http://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19954-Flyers-vs-Penguins-1st-Dec-2018&goto=newpost
Sat, 01 Dec 2018 23:54:43 GMThttps://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-flyers-pittsburgh-penguins-game-preview/c-302492528
by Wes Crosby / NHL.com Correspondent
Image:...

The Game
Patric Hornqvist will be a game-time decision for the Pittsburgh Penguins when they face the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

After missing the past three games with a concussion, the forward returned to practice Friday and took part in Pittsburgh's morning skate Saturday. If he plays, Hornqvist is expected to skate at second-line right wing and return to the top power-play unit.

The Penguins were 2-1-0 without Hornqvist and are 3-1-1 in their past five games.

The Flyers are 1-5-1 in their past seven games, including two straight losses.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will meet for the first time since the Penguins won their Eastern Conference First Round series in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs in six games. Pittsburgh won each of their four regular-season matchups last season.

Players to watch
Flyers forward Travis Konecny has at least one point in four of his past five games. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) during that span.

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby has four goals in his past two games, including his 11th NHL hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

They said it
"It's nice to have a game to prepare for tonight, and get a singular and sole focus on that, and that alone." -- Flyers coach Dave Hakstol

"I think [Hornqvist] brings intensity and work ethic that I think is important to any power play. Usually your power play has a lot of skill, but I think the work ethic, and to outwork the penalty kill you're playing against, is always an important thing." -- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby

Status report
Lehtera, who will play his 300th NHL game, will return to the Flyers lineup after being a healthy scratch the past three games. ... Pearson is expected to play after missing practice Friday with a maintenance day.

Stat pack
The Flyers have allowed at least four goals in four of their past five games. ... The Penguins have killed 12 straight penalties during their past seven games since allowing four power-play goals to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 15.

]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19954-Flyers-vs-Penguins-1st-Dec-2018Calvin Pickard on waivers; Claimed by Arizona Coyoteshttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19953-Calvin-Pickard-on-waivers-Claimed-by-Arizona-Coyotes&goto=newpost
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:41:32 GMTCalvin Pickard, 26, has been placed on waivers by the Flyers.
The Flyers claimed Pickard off of waivers from Toronto in October.
He is currently...Calvin Pickard, 26, has been placed on waivers by the Flyers.

The Flyers claimed Pickard off of waivers from Toronto in October.
He is currently 4-2-2 with .863 save percentage and 4.01GAA

Pryor was sent packing after 20 years with the Flyers organization. Interestingly, Holmgren elevated Pryor to director of player personnel in August 2013, but it was Hextall who bumped him up to assistant general manager in August 2016.

Pryor was considered to be Hextall’s right-hand man and one of the few voices the former general manager would listen to inside the organization. Sources say Pryor’s stance was considered too closely aligned with that of Hextall’s. In all likelihood, the new GM would have elected to bring in his own assistant anyway. Pryor joined the Flyers in 1999 as a scout and served in that position for seven years.

It was Holmgren who told Hakstol, “If there’s anything I can do to help you do your job better, please feel free to come and talk to me about it,” following the firing of Hextall and the two sides wasted no time. The decision to fire Murphy was made “in close consultation” with Hakstol Wednesday morning.

Murphy was in his fifth season as an assistant coach working primarily with the Flyers' defense. He was hired by Hextall a year before Hakstol was brought aboard as head coach.

“In discussion between Paul and I, the decision was made based on what we felt was best for our group on the back end moving forward,” Hakstol said. “I don’t want to get into specific issues. It’s about the entire group.”

Fair to say, the Flyers' young defensive core of Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg has regressed in its overall play after showing significant improvements and steadiness in 2017-18.

“He was my first D-coach in the NHL," Gostisbehere said of Murphy. "He helped me a lot, complete my game sort of in some ways.”

Interestingly, in the short term, Hakstol now has personnel decisions within his staff and his roster that he wasn’t allowed to make under Hextall. Placing Calvin Pickard on waivers was a sign that the head coach wasn’t too fond of his goaltender, who Hextall claimed off waivers just prior to the season opener in Vegas.

"That’s a move that we felt we needed to make within our group," Hakstol said. "Picks has done a good job for us. He’s been a guy who’s been a great teammate for everybody in here and has gone in and battled very hard."

However, it’s debatable whether Pickard is even an NHL-caliber goaltender. He allowed four or more goals in six of his eight starts with the Flyers. Hakstol felt the goaltenders already within the organization gave the Flyers a better chance to win.

Anthony Stolarz and Michal Neuvirth were the only goaltenders practicing Wednesday. However, Neuvirth hasn’t been cleared for game action.

Here’s Holmgren’s statement regarding Wednesday’s transactions:

"The Flyers organization has relieved Chris Pryor of his duties as director of player personnel and assistant general manager. In addition, in close consultation with Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol, Gord Murphy has been relieved of his duties as assistant coach. I would like to thank Chris for his dedication to the franchise and contributions over the last 20 years. Likewise, we thank Gord Murphy for serving behind the bench for the last five seasons and helping grow and develop our young core of defensemen. We do not anticipate any further personnel moves in the near term.”
]]>Philadelphia Flyersteylwardhttp://www.suddendeathhockeyforums.ca/forums/showthread.php?19952-Flyers-fire-Assistant-GM-and-Assistant-Coach